Telephone-call indicator



(NoMudeL) J. M. 'PROVOOST.

' 1 TELEPHONE GALL INDIGATOR. Np. 276,465.- I Patented Apf.y24,1883.* 4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. PRovoosT, .OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

TELEPHONE-CALLv INDIQATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Ive. 276,465,. dated April 24,1883. Application filed March 1, 1853. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN M. Paovoosr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Gall Indicators 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists substantially of an arrow or indicator loosely pivoted to the front face of the telephone-casing, acting in conjunction with'a lever loosely pivotedto such casing or a holding-plate, either on the inside or outside surface thereof, such lever being adapted to'be operated by the vibrating bellhammer of the telephone. and provided with an angular projection working in a slot in the casing or holding-plate, and adapted to engage with or disengage from a projection upon the arrow or indicator, another angular projection being located upon the lever and similarly working through a slot, by means of which projection the indicating-arm w may be quickly and easily reset after having been thrown out of position in indicatin g a call at the telephone, all as will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the telephone-casing, showing the application of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view of a modlfication. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively rear and side detached views of my improved de vice, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the arrow or indicator.

Referring to the drawings, a. is the front casing of the telephone-chamber, a a the bells and a? the hammer, operating in the usual manner in the slot at to ring the bells.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown my operating mechanism as applied inside of the casing, the arrow or indicator being of course upon the outside. In such Figs. 1 and 2, b is the arrowor indicator, also shown more clearly in perspective in Fig. 6. This arrow is loosely pivoted, as shown, directly to the casing, and has the projection or shoulder b upon itsinner side.

0 is the operating-lever, preferably straight, and pivoted at c to the inner side of the easing, as shown in Fig. 2. Its upper end extends to or slightly beyond the hammer a which rings the bells. Its lower end is bent to form the projection 0 which extends outwardly through the elongated slot-d in the casing a,and a short distance above such projection c is another and similar projection, o which extends outwardly through slot 01, also in the casing a.

o is a keeper to limit the play of the lever c.

In Figs. 3, 4, and 5 I have shown a different way of attaching my improved device to the casing of the telephone, the device itself and its operation being in every respect the same as in Figs. 1 and 2. The arrow or indicator b and the operating-lever c are pivoted to the holding-plate 6, having the attaching-lugs'e,

Assuming the projection 1) upon the arrow b to be resting upon the projection c of lever 0, thus holding such arrow in a horizontal position, and the bell-hammer c to be located at the left of the top portion of the lever c and restingagainst the left-hand hell, it will be observed that as soon as the hammer a commences to vibrate between the bells a a the lower part of the lever c, with its projection 0 is thrown to the left, and the arrow 11 is dropped out of its horizontal position, thus serving its purpose of indicating that a call has been made during the absence of any one from the office or room in which the telephone is located. To reset the arrow in its horizontal position it is only necessary to raise such-arrow to its horizontal position, and at the same time push the lever c, by means of the projection 0", back until the shoulder b uponthe arrow 1) again rests upon the projection 0 upon the lever c. This can be very easily and quickly done with one hand.

I am aware thatit is not novel, broadly, to arrange an indicator with a lever operated by the bell-hammer of the telephone, and I do not ated by the vibration of the bell-hammer, sub- I0 claim such broad construction; but stantially as shown and described.

What I do claim is- In testimony whereof I have signed my name The combination, with the pivoted arrow or to this specification in the presence of two subindicator 12, provided with the projection b, of scribing witnesses.

the pivoted lever c, having the supporting- JOHN M. PROVOOST. projection c and the operating-projection c Witnesses: working in the slots (1 and cl, the wholebeing W. '1. MILLER,

applied to the casing of a telephone and oper- J. H. MARLING. 

